


Cruel and Unusual Punishment

by Lanta



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Caning, Corporal Punishment, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2007-05-19
Updated: 2007-05-19
Packaged: 2017-10-19 20:46:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/205040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lanta/pseuds/Lanta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's not the first time Rodney and Ronon have been in trouble with the locals. It is the first time the locals have wanted to cane them for their offence.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cruel and Unusual Punishment

“Quit whining, McKay.”

“Whining? This isn’t whining, this is justified yelling! We’re about to be caned and you just sit there and tell me to stop whining?”

“I saw the canes. They’re nothing. On Sateda we had big strong canes that could break your bones. These look more likely to break themselves than bones.”

“You had canes?! This is normal for you?!”

“Caning’s a good way of preventing crime.”

“It’s barbaric! Haven’t these people heard of jails?”

“So you’d rather stay on this planet for a few weeks then?” drawled John from outside the steel bars.

“No!”

“Then suck it up and take your punishment. It’s the only way the Cartasians will let us go. They promised they wouldn’t actually harm you.”

“They’re going to bring a big piece of wood down on my butt eight times! How is that not going to hurt me?”

“I said harm, McKay, not hurt.”

Rodney glared his most ferocious glare, but was prevented from saying anything by the arrival of the big, burly guards, who unlocked the cell door.

“The prisoners are to be taken to the caning platform.”

“Platform? Oh god, this isn’t going to be public is it?”

“Offworlder punishments are private,” one of the guards told him, grasping his arm firmly and pulling him towards the door. “Only the punisher, two guards and the rest of your team will be there.”

“That’s five people! Six if you include Ronon! How is that not public?”

“In a normal punishment, anything up to thirty-five spectators might be present.”

Rodney gaped, and shut up.

Rodney and Ronon were dragged through the hallways by the guards, while John and Teyla followed unrestrained. Rodney’s thoughts were a mixture of regret for ever coming to this planet, and fear of what was to come. Ronon’s thoughts focused mostly on whether the Cartasians would allow him to buy one of their guns before letting them go. They really were fantastic weapons.

The platform, when they got to it, consisted of a raised area in the centre of a large round room. As they passed through the large archway, the doors were swung shut behind them, guards on the opposite side taking up their positions to prevent unwanted guests to come through.

Rodney was unable to prevent himself from struggling as they reached the platform, but the guards hoisted him effortlessly up the four steps. With an efficiency that suggested frequent practice, the guards bent both him and Ronan over the wooden horses, tying their arms and legs to metal rings.

Rodney felt his pants being pulled down, and pulled in a breath, but no hands went near his boxers. He released the air in a sigh of relief.

John stood in front of him, and gently put a hand on his shoulder. For the first time, a truly sympathetic expression was on his face. “I’m sorry, Rodney. But it won’t be as bad as you think. It will be over quickly.”

Rodney didn’t deign to reply to that so-called reassurance.

The official punisher – and what a job title that was – stood between the two horses and looked between Rodney and Ronon. “Which of you would like to go first?”

“Me! Do me first.” Rodney was eager, not because he was in any hurry to be caned, but because he felt seeing Ronon get caned first would just be altogether too awful. He was already panicking; he didn’t want it to be any worse.

The punisher nodded, and walked around Rodney. Unable to see his tormenter, Rodney closed his eyes tightly and waited.

The blow came slowly, but painfully enough that he had no idea how he’d survive the other seven.

Again the cane fell, and he yelled out, trying to kick his legs without success.

It fell again, and again, and the punisher granted him a moment’s rest before the second half.

Teyla moved in, and laid her hand on Rodney’s back, rubbing it soothingly. “It will be okay, Dr. McKay. You are already half way through.”

As grateful as he was for the soothing, he couldn’t resist letting loose a couple of choice swear words. Teyla just smiled, and moved away as the punisher moved back into position.

The cane fell again, this time onto his thighs, and then again. For the final two strokes it moved back up his bottom, falling diagonally across the four stripes from the first half of the punishment.

When the punisher announced that the sentence had been fulfilled, Rodney just collapsed on the horse, and felt Sheppard pat his shoulder softly. “You did great, McKay.”

He breathed in and out, finally managing to look up again as the punisher went to stand behind Ronon. This time the cane fell eight times without reprieve, and Ronan took all of them stoically. Rodney hated him in that moment.

Finally the two of them were untied, and Rodney shakily reached down to pull up his pants. His butt ached fiercely, but somehow the pain was not as bad as he had expected. He could still walk, but despite that Teyla put her arm around him, and helped him down the steps and out of the big room.

Outside the building, a steward handed him his bags back, and he happily clutched his laptop to his chest. Ronon retrieved his own possessions, and enquired of the steward as to whether the local guns were available to buy, and if so whether there was a shop on the way to the stargate.

Rodney just started walking, getting himself away from the courthouse, away from what had just happened. Sheppard walked next to him, mercifully not speaking, and the four of them left the planet, stopping only at the gun shop, where all four of them had to search to find enough tradeable items on their persons to pay for Ronon’s new toy.

In the debriefing later that day, even Rodney had to admit that the Cartasians would be good trading allies. He made one thing very very clear though – he was never, ever going back there himself.


End file.
